Abstract
This study examines how psychological factors—such as anxiety, risk perception, and attitude—affect passengers' bus travel behavior choices before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Nanhai District, Foshan, China. Using questionnaire data from 672 bus passengers across 10 routes and applying Binary Logit discrete choice models, the research analyzes the influence of personal characteristics (age, travel frequency, travel time, travel distance) on bus ridership intention. Results show that during the pandemic, older people's willingness to ride buses declined with age due to health concerns, whereas post-pandemic, seniors showed increased bus usage willingness. Pre- and intra-pandemic high-frequency travelers were more likely to choose buses, but post-pandemic this association weakened. Post-pandemic passengers also retained a preference for buses on longer-distance trips. The study highlights that pandemic-altered travel psychology—especially among the elderly—and emphasizes the continued importance of safety, frequency, speed, and transfer efficiency in restoring public transport demand.